Industry Facts and Figures

Our Farms

Dairy Farming in the United States

The vast, diverse landscape and varied climate-from the hot, dry, open spaces of the West to the seasonally temperate, nutrient-rich fields of the Midwest and Northeast to the hot, humid holdings of the Southeast-supports year-round milk production in the United States. Dairy farms in each region draw on geographic strengths and herd management capabilities to produce milk 365 days a year, a key difference from the seasonal supply fluctuations of other milk-producing countries.

Indeed, the United States is the world's largest single-country cow's milk producer, with 96.4 million metric tons of milk in 2016. That's triple the combined milk volume of New Zealand and Australia. U.S. milk production encompasses 9.3 million cows on 42,000 U.S. dairy farms across all 50 states, with over half of 2016 volume from the top five U.S. milk-producing states of California, Wisconsin, New York, Idaho and Michigan. (Source: USDA)

A steady and healthy planned diet combines with the dairy cow's powerful digestive system's ability to maximize the dietary nutrients to produce wholesome, high-quality milk throughout the year. The steady supply is bolstered by minimal season-to-season variance in feed quantity and nutrient composition, in contrast to the cyclical volume typical of dairy cows that graze, which is common in some parts of the world.

Cow Comfort Tops U.S. Dairy Farmers' To-Do Lists

The majority of U.S. dairy farms are family-owned and operated. Generations of experience closely attune farmers to what their herds need to thrive. In terms of living environment, American-style barns are designed to protect cows from the weather, including wind and moisture. Installation of ceiling fans and water jets in the barns keep cows cool in the summer heat. The amount of rest a cow gets also directly influences how much milk she produces. U.S. dairy farmers often use sand bedding, as well as, more recently, water beds, to optimize a refreshing rest time.

U.S. dairy farmers work year-round to ensure cow comfort, and well-tended dairy cows respond by producing more milk. In fact, today's annual average of 10,300 kilograms per U.S. cow average more than doubles the 1970 U.S. average of 4,400 kilograms per cow. In comparison, current annual per-cow production is about 6,400 kilograms in the European Union, 5,600 kilograms in Australia and 4,300 kilograms in New Zealand. (Source: USDA)

Meet Our Committed U.S. Dairy Farmers

There is no better way to understand the care and dedication of U.S. dairy farmers than to hear directly from them. Here are four narrated videos that explain how our farmers care for their animals, the environment and produce the highest quality U.S. dairy products to provide to global customers.